Keith McCants
Encyclopedia
Alvin Keith McCants is a former professional American football
linebacker
who played for six seasons in the National Football League
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, the Houston Oilers, and the Arizona Cardinals
from 1990 to 1995. He was selected by Tampa Bay in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft
.
, McCants had a number of accolades bestowed upon him including being named a 1989 Consensus First Team All-American and a 1989 Butkus Award Runner-up. He was a member of the 1990 Sugar Bowl
team and was named the National Defensive Player of the Year in 1989 by CBS-TV. In 1988 as a sophomore, McCants finished second on the team with 78 tackles, second only to Derrick Thomas
. In 1989, he led the Crimson Tide with 119 tackles and 4 sacks and was named Sports Illustrated
defensive player of the week after totaling 18 tackles in an Alabama victory over LSU. In the last game of the 1989 regular season against Auburn
, dubbed the Iron Bowl
, McCants was named the CBS Player of the Game for Alabama with 18 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. McCants 119 tackles that year puts him tied for 6th all time for tackles in a single season by an Alabama player. Among a number of individual honors, McCants finished his college career with 197 total tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss. The February 12th, 1990 issue of Sports Illustrated ran an article that focused on McCants titled "The Young and the Restless", that profiled his and other college juniors' eventually successful attempts to declare for the NFL Draft before their senior season, a then-uncommon practice. In December 2010, Bleacher Report
named McCants the 33rd greatest player in Alabama Crimson Tide History.
, but the Atlanta Falcons
backed off due to rumors of knee trouble and allegations that his family had been paid money by a sports agent while he was still in college. After being drafted fourth overall by the Buccaneers in 1990, McCants signed a 5 year, $7.4 million dollar deal with the team, including a then-record $2.5 million dollar cash signing bonus. A highly touted prospect, McCants rookie card by Score
quoted former Kentucky head coach Jerry Claiborne
as saying "Keith is one of the best football players I have ever seen. Have you ever seen a linebacker as big as he is? I never have. He looks like an elephant and he runs like a deer". Buccaneers coach Ray Perkins, McCants' former college coach, said that "He plays like he is never out of the play. That is an intensity level I like".
McCants had difficulty adjusting to playing linebacker in the NFL and was converted to defensive end
for the 1991 season. Previously timed at 4.51 seconds for the 40-yard dash, after the transition he lost speed. Tampa Bay also drafted him not knowing that he had sustained a serious knee injury. McCants did have some success, as he led the Buccaneers in 1991 with 34 quarterback pressures, and was second on the Buccaneers in sacks (5) and quarterback pressures (21) in 1992. Eventually, Tampa Bay cut him during their 1993 training camp. While with the Houston Oilers, McCants stepped in to separate Buddy Ryan
and Kevin Gilbride
when Ryan punched Gilbride in the face following an Oiler's fumble. In 1994, McCants' 46-yard touchdown was the Cardinals' longest interception return of the season. McCants retired from the NFL in 1995.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who played for six seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, the Houston Oilers, and the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1990 to 1995. He was selected by Tampa Bay in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft
1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
.
High school career
McCants attended Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama. As a senior, he amassed 130 tackles and 3 interceptions and was named to the 1986 1st Team All State Team. Additionally, McCants was named to the 1986 Alabama Sports Writers Association's Super 12 team, composed of the top 12 high school football players in the state. McCants was also on the school's basketball team, and helped lead them to the state tournament both his freshman and senior year.College career
A college standout at the University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, McCants had a number of accolades bestowed upon him including being named a 1989 Consensus First Team All-American and a 1989 Butkus Award Runner-up. He was a member of the 1990 Sugar Bowl
1990 Sugar Bowl
The 1990 USF&G Sugar Bowl, part of the 1989 season, took place on January 1, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Miami Hurricanes, competing as a football independent...
team and was named the National Defensive Player of the Year in 1989 by CBS-TV. In 1988 as a sophomore, McCants finished second on the team with 78 tackles, second only to Derrick Thomas
Derrick Thomas
Derrick Vincent Thomas , nicknamed D.T., was an American football linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . He played his entire 11-year career for the Chiefs after being drafted fourth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft...
. In 1989, he led the Crimson Tide with 119 tackles and 4 sacks and was named Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
defensive player of the week after totaling 18 tackles in an Alabama victory over LSU. In the last game of the 1989 regular season against Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, dubbed the Iron Bowl
Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports...
, McCants was named the CBS Player of the Game for Alabama with 18 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. McCants 119 tackles that year puts him tied for 6th all time for tackles in a single season by an Alabama player. Among a number of individual honors, McCants finished his college career with 197 total tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss. The February 12th, 1990 issue of Sports Illustrated ran an article that focused on McCants titled "The Young and the Restless", that profiled his and other college juniors' eventually successful attempts to declare for the NFL Draft before their senior season, a then-uncommon practice. In December 2010, Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is a website that provides news and fans' opinions of sporting events.The website was launched in February 2008 by California-based entrepreneurs Dave Finocchio, Zander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and Dave Nemetz...
named McCants the 33rd greatest player in Alabama Crimson Tide History.
Professional career
McCants was for a time expected to be the first player selected in the 1990 NFL draft1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
, but the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
backed off due to rumors of knee trouble and allegations that his family had been paid money by a sports agent while he was still in college. After being drafted fourth overall by the Buccaneers in 1990, McCants signed a 5 year, $7.4 million dollar deal with the team, including a then-record $2.5 million dollar cash signing bonus. A highly touted prospect, McCants rookie card by Score
Score Entertainment
Score Entertainment was a trading card design and manufacturing company based in Arlington, Texas. Their first card game was the Dragon Ball Z: Collectible Card Game in 2000. Score Entertainment was a member of the Donruss Playoff LP family of companies...
quoted former Kentucky head coach Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Tech , the University of Maryland, College Park , and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky , compiling a career college football record of 179–122–8...
as saying "Keith is one of the best football players I have ever seen. Have you ever seen a linebacker as big as he is? I never have. He looks like an elephant and he runs like a deer". Buccaneers coach Ray Perkins, McCants' former college coach, said that "He plays like he is never out of the play. That is an intensity level I like".
McCants had difficulty adjusting to playing linebacker in the NFL and was converted to defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the 1991 season. Previously timed at 4.51 seconds for the 40-yard dash, after the transition he lost speed. Tampa Bay also drafted him not knowing that he had sustained a serious knee injury. McCants did have some success, as he led the Buccaneers in 1991 with 34 quarterback pressures, and was second on the Buccaneers in sacks (5) and quarterback pressures (21) in 1992. Eventually, Tampa Bay cut him during their 1993 training camp. While with the Houston Oilers, McCants stepped in to separate Buddy Ryan
Buddy Ryan
James David "Buddy" Ryan is a former American NFL football coach.-Early years:Ryan was born and reared in a small, agricultural-based community "just outside of Frederick, Oklahoma." Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and...
and Kevin Gilbride
Kevin Gilbride
Kevin Gilbride is an American football coach. Gilbride served as the San Diego Chargers head coach from 1997-1998. He went to Southern Connecticut State University, where he played both quarterback and tight end. He would later coach at his alma mater for five seasons starting in 1980 and compiled...
when Ryan punched Gilbride in the face following an Oiler's fumble. In 1994, McCants' 46-yard touchdown was the Cardinals' longest interception return of the season. McCants retired from the NFL in 1995.